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Comet Sport in Kelly MarCom Fold

ATLANTA Kelly MarCom said it has acquired Comet Sport Marketing in a bid to add sports and event marketing to the shop’s list of services.

The amount the independent Sanford, N.C., shop paid for the Raleigh, N.C., sports marketing firm was not disclosed, but Kelly MarCom acquired all ownership, said Shelley Kelly, president of Kelly MarCom. The cost of the acquisition is being paid over the next three years, Kelly said.

Tom Crichton, a former television sports broadcaster who opened Comet in 2003, joins Kelly MarCom as director of sports and event marketing. Alison Barnwell, the only other employee of Comet, joins as associate director of sports and event marketing.

All of Comet’s accounts, which include the Red Cactus Nascar Busch Series racing team and the annual Joliet Nascar Fan Fest, have been added to Kelly MarCom’s client list. Annual billings for the accounts were not disclosed.

“The combination of Kelly MarCom and Comet Sports Marketing provides event sponsors with easy access to a highly experienced, award-winning creative group to develop their sponsorship materials and PR teams to assist them in maximizing exposure at each event,” she said.

Kelly MarCom also added a life sciences division last month by merging Key Healthcare Partners into the shop. The two agencies had been working together for the past several years.

Kelly MarCom now employs 25 people and expects annual billings this year to reach $14 million.